UK police chase pics, email, phone records in bomber hunt

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London police have asked the public to turn in mobile phone still and video pictures as they hunt the terrorists behind last Thursday‘s bomb attacks on the UK capital.

The call came as Britain’s authorities sought to secure email and mobile phone records as they continue their hunt for the bombers.

Much of the media networks’ coverage of the bombings came from stills and video captured on camera phones and other mobile devices.

London’s Metropolitan Police on Sunday asked people who captured images on Thursday, both before and after the bombings, and either in or close to the areas where the bombings happened, to forward them to images@met.police.uk.

"These images may contain crucial information which could help detectives in what is a painstaking and complex inquiry,“ said the head of the Met's Anti-Terrorist Branch, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke.

Meanwhile, UK authorities have begun contacting ISPs as they looks for leads on the bombers. El Reg has received reports that individuals trying to cancel accounts with providers have been told they can‘t, as security services have already told providers to freeze all accounts.

The Observer reported today that authorities had asked service providers to provide any information deemed relevant. At present there is no requirement to comply, but this may not be the case for long.

The Observer said UK home secretary, Charles Clarke, will this week propose new data retention measures covering mobile phone and internet service providers at an emergency meeting of European Union interior ministers on the implications of the bombings. Clarke will also apply pressure on areas such as law enforcement databases, tracking passports and movements of explosives. Clarke has said he believes authorities might have been able to prevent the bombings if they had access to such data.

Clarke’s efforts could revitalise EU efforts to require providers to retain data for at least years. As of last month the initiative seemed moribund, as member states pushed the program while the EU parliament battled against it.®